There’s probably more than one way to reduce the flow of garbage into Michigan from Canada, thus saving more flat lands from becoming sledding hills.
My off-the-cuff method would be to have a major depression. Oh, sure it would create severe hardships, but environmentalists would love it. There would be no more space takers in the landfills like water bottles, table leftovers (there wouldn’t be any) and metals.
A way would be found to reuse plastic everything. Our throwaway society would collapse. Only children of the rich would have cell phones. One-car families would be common again, as would hand-me-down clothes, typewriters, row boats, cobblers and home brew.
I sometimes reflect on the Great Depression of 1929-1939, which was resolved by a war; like while doing everyday things. I amaze myself at my thrift (read that as cheapness).
Fer-instance: I sometimes wash out self-sealing plastic bags. I call them re-usables.
I don’t put on after shave lotion unless I think I might be going out.
Seldom do I use a full cap-full of laundry detergent though it’s suggested on the box. See, it’s only ‘suggested? not demanded. P & G can’t know how dirty my clothes are nor can they know the fullness of my tub. The same is true of softeners and stain removing stuff.
At times I still find myself spreading jam on bread so thin there is color but little taste, as I did as a lad. I make very few long distance phone calls. Too costly. If I really need to make such calls I go to a Sherman Publications office and let our kids pay for them.
Since I fry about a pound of bacon a week, I’ve been known to re-use the plastic bag I save it in for months. It’s refrigerated, so fungi can’t survive. I’m safe and extremely healthy.
I wear socks for two days, use minimal hair lick-dob, save bacon grease, use the amount of toothpaste it takes to freshen my mouth and overbrush for cleanliness, use plastic bags my newspaper comes in for keeping snacks and often wash my own car.
Older people like to say to the younger, ‘What this country needs is a good depression.? Of course, there’s no such thing as a ‘good depression.? Too much suffering.
On the other hand, today there is too much waste of everything, but youth’s energy. The cell-phone craze, down-loading music into iPods and then listening to it for hours and way too many clothes, though young girls are using a lot less material for pants, which is offset by the amount of material boys drag on the ground.
My daddy always said he would never try to live through another depression like the Great Depression. It was bad, but some depression thinking could reduce landfills and create some appreciation for what we have.
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Gotta? tell you another ‘twins? story. It will be number 321, if you’re keeping score.
Seems the 5-year-olds? parents had to go to Traverse City recently so daddy Tim could compete in a snowshoe marathon. I know what you’re thinking, but he is my son-in-law, besides he won his flight and is eligible to compete in Alaska.
Anyway, the family, including Savannah, were leaving the hotel, and the children were told to carry their own bag, which was one each.
Mom and Dad were outside when Haley came out carrying two bags.
Mom: ‘Why are you carrying two bags, Haley??
Haley: ‘Trevor said his was too heavy!?